Robert De Niro and Al Pacino were both part of the cast of the 1974 mafia masterpiece ‘The Godfather 2’, but due to the story structure they did not have a single scene together. It would then take another two full decades before the Oscar winners, who have since grown into even bigger Hollywood stars, actually stood together in front of the camera for the first time.
In 1995 the time had finally come – in fact Michael Mann’s masterpiece between cop and gangster “Heat“, which can be seen again on Cable 1 today, February 13, 2024, from 10:25 PM. The exceptional work is also available to stream on Disney+:
‘Heat’ lives from the duel between the acting greats Pacino and De Niro, but also has much more to offer…
170 minutes and not too long
With the remake of his own TV movie “Confrontation in LAThe director of “Insider” and “Collateral” delivered Michael Mann equally virtuoso on different levels: ‘Heat’ is a character drama, gangster thriller and action film in one – without compromising on any of these areas. Instead, they fit together perfectly and complement each other, creating a moving overall result.
None of the 170 minutes is wasted. Finally, many exciting sideshows open in which other top characters, including Val Kilmer, Jon Voight and Natalie Portman, come into the spotlight and give the overall event even more weight.
In the middle of the story about the clever robber Neil McCauley (De Niro), who wants to pull off one last big deal, and the police officer Vincent Hanna (Pacino) who is hunting him, there are two very central scenes that make the strong thriller an absolute must see. Make a highlight…
Meeting of the giants
In ‘Heat’ Michael Mann really plays with the long-awaited clash between Pacino and De Niro. Because they didn’t actually get much more screen time together here than they did in “The Godfather 2.”
For a long time, the storylines of the two protagonists are told side by side in complete equality, so that you quickly realize that although the two men are on different sides of the law, they are actually not that different. Simple black and white painting does not take place here. It is therefore difficult to decide which of the two you should actually keep your fingers crossed for.
Mann ultimately makes a virtue of the actor’s “necessity.” The careful construction of the duel between the characters pays off when they finally meet directly for the first time in the middle of the film. – and this is another brilliant move, not in an action scene, but in a simple conversation in a restaurant.
Pacino and De Niro deliberately did not rehearse the conversation before filming to achieve an even greater effect – with complete success: the exciting tension bubbling beneath the surface creates an atmosphere for editing and ensures that the confrontation between the two Hollywood legends the desired movie moment for eternity.
One of the most impressive shootings
But the action is not neglected in “Heat”. Although Mann only uses it in very judicious doses, when push comes to shove it attacks the characters all the more brutally. This is perhaps most evident in the breathtaking gunfights on the streets of LA after a botched bank robbery.
What Mann is firing here in the truest sense of the word is absolute power and unparalleled in terms of intensity. The filmmaker creates a sweaty feeling as if you are in the middle of it, partly through the dynamic development of the scene, but especially with the help of the special sound design.
Instead of actually designing the ambient and gun sounds first, Mann recorded the unadulterated background noise directly on set. The reverberating images that ominously reflect through the environment make danger omnipresent in the scene.
‘Heat’ remains one of the best films of all time. A few years ago, the action thriller deservedly earned a place in our major film top 100 – where, if the author of these lines had had his way, it could have ended up much higher…
By the way: Did you know that Michael Mann himself has now received a belated one? literary sequel to “Heat”* published? No joke, “Heat 2” is real. And that’s not all: the book will soon be made into a film:
Author: Markus Trut
Source : Film Starts
I am Dawid Malan, a news reporter for 24 Instant News. I specialize in celebrity and entertainment news, writing stories that capture the attention of readers from all walks of life. My work has been featured in some of the world’s leading publications and I am passionate about delivering quality content to my readers.
